1533 Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are sacraments of Christian
initiation. They ground the common vocation of all Christ's disciples, a
vocation to holiness and to the mission of evangelizing the world. They
confer the graces needed for the life according to the Spirit during this
life as pilgrims on the march towards the homeland.

1534 Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards
the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation,
it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular
mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.

1535 Through these sacraments those already consecrated by Baptism and
Confirmation[1] for the common priesthood of all the faithful can receive
particular consecrations. Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders
are consecrated in Christ's name "to feed the Church by the word and grace
of God."[2] On their part, "Christian spouses are fortified and, as it
were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special
sacrament."[3]

1536 Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by
Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the
end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes
three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.
(On the institution and mission of the apostolic ministry by Christ, see
above, no. 874 ff. Here only the sacramental means by which this ministry
is handed on will be treated.)

1537 The word order in Roman antiquity designated an established civil
body, especially a governing body. Ordinatio means incorporation into an
ordo. In the Church there are established bodies which Tradition, not
without a basis in Sacred Scripture,[4] has since ancient times called
taxeis (Greek) or ordines. And so the liturgy speaks of the ordo
episcoporum, the ordo presbyterorum, the ordo diaconorum. Other groups
also receive this name of ordo: catechumens, virgins, spouses, widows,....

1538 Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished
by a rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a
consecration, a blessing or a sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is
reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of
bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election,
designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a
gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power"
(sacra potestas)[5] which can come only from Christ himself through his
Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart
and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. The laying on of
hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible
sign of this ordination.

The priesthood of the Old Covenant

1539 The chosen people was constituted by God as "a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation."[6] But within the people of Israel, God chose one of the
twelve tribes, that of Levi, and set it apart for liturgical service; God
himself is its inheritance.[7] A special rite consecrated the beginnings
of the priesthood of the Old Covenant. The priests are "appointed to act
on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for
sins."[8]

1540 Instituted to proclaim the Word of God and to restore communion with
God by sacrifices and prayer,[9] this priesthood nevertheless remains
powerless to bring about salvation, needing to repeat its sacrifices
ceaselessly and being unable to achieve a definitive sanctification, which
only the sacrifice of Christ would accomplish.[10]

1541 The liturgy of the Church, however, sees in the priesthood of Aaron
and the service of the Levites, as in the institution of the seventy
elders,[11] a prefiguring of the ordained ministry of the New Covenant.
Thus in the Latin Rite the Church prays in the consecratory preface of the
ordination of bishops: God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . by
your gracious word you have established the plan of your Church. From the
beginning, you chose the descendants of Abraham to be your holy nation.
You established rulers and priests and did not leave your sanctuary
without ministers to serve you....[12]

1542 At the ordination of priests, the Church prays:
Lord, holy Father, . . . when you had appointed high priests to rule your
people, you chose other men next to them in rank and dignity to be with
them and to help them in their task....
you extended the spirit of Moses to seventy wise men.... You shared among
the sons of Aaron the fullness of their father's power.[13]

1543 In the consecratory prayer for ordination of deacons, the Church
confesses:
Almighty God . . .. You make the Church, Christ's body, grow to its full
stature as a new and greater temple. You enrich it with every kind of
grace and perfect it with a diversity of members to serve the whole body
in a wonderful pattern of unity.
You established a threefold ministry of worship and service, for the glory
of your name. As ministers of your tabernacle you chose the sons of Levi
and gave them your blessing as their everlasting inheritance.[14]

The one priesthood of Christ

1544 Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds
its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the "one mediator between God and
men."[15] The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, "priest of God
Most High," as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique
"high priest after the order of Melchizedek";[16] "holy, blameless,
unstained,"[17] "by a single offering he has perfected for all time those
who are sanctified,"[18] that is, by the unique sacrifice of the cross.

1545 The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for
all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church.
The same is true of the one priesthood of Christ; it is made present
through the ministerial priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of
Christ's priesthood: "Only Christ is the true priest, the others being
only his ministers."[19]

Two participations in the one priesthood of Christ

1546 Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a
kingdom, priests for his God and Father."[20] The whole community of
believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal
priesthood through their participation, each according to his own
vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the
sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be
. . . a holy priesthood."[21]

1547 The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests,
and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its
own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one
to another," they differ essentially.[22] In what sense? While the common
priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal
grace-a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the
Spirit-,the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common
priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all
Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ
unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is
transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

In the person of Christ the Head . . .

1548 In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ
himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his
flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is
what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the
sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:[23]
It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister
truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal
consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest
and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of
Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).[24]
Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a
figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of
Christ.[25]

1549 Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and
priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in
the midst of the community of believers.[26] In the beautiful expression
of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the
living image of God the Father.[27]

1550 This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if
the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of
domination, error, even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not
guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee
extends to the sacraments, so that even the minister's sin cannot impede
the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces
that are not always signs of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can
harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church.

1551 This priesthood is ministerial. "That office . . . which the Lord
committed to the pastors of his people, is in the strict sense of the term
a service."[28] It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It depends
entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood; it has been instituted
for the good of men and the communion of the Church. The sacrament of Holy
Orders communicates a "sacred power" which is none other than that of
Christ. The exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against
the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of
all.[29] "The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof of
love for him."[30]

. . . "in the name of the whole Church"

1552 The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing
Christ - Head of the Church - before the assembly of the faithful, but
also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the
prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic
sacrifice.[31]

1553 "In the name of the whole Church" does not mean that priests are the
delegates of the community. The prayer and offering of the Church are
inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her head; it is always
the case that Christ worships in and through his Church. The whole Church,
the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself "through him, with him, in
him," in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. The whole Body,
caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the
Body are especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ,
but also of the Church. It is because the ministerial priesthood
represents Christ that it can represent the Church.

1554 "The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in
different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called
bishops, priests, and deacons."[32] Catholic doctrine, expressed in the
liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church,
recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the
priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . The diaconate
is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in
current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic
doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate
and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three
conferred by a sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the
sacrament of Holy Orders:
Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image
of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of
the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.[33]

Episcopal ordination- fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders

1555 "Amongst those various offices which have been exercised in the
Church from the earliest times the chief place, according to the witness
of tradition, is held by the function of those who, through their
appointment to the dignity and responsibility of bishop, and in virtue
consequently of the unbroken succession going back to the beginning, are
regarded as transmitters of the apostolic line."[34]

1556 To fulfil their exalted mission, "the apostles were endowed by Christ
with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, and by the
imposition of hands they passed on to their auxiliaries the gift of the
Spirit, which is transmitted down to our day through episcopal
consecration."[35]

1557 The Second Vatican Council "teaches . . . that the fullness of the
sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that
fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and
the language of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high priesthood,
the acme (summa) of the sacred ministry."[36]

1558 "Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of
sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling.... In fact ... by
the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the
grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in
such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place
of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his
representative (in Eius persona agant)."[37] "By virtue, therefore, of the
Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true
and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and
pastors."[38]

1559 "One is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of the
sacramental consecration and by the hierarchical communion with the head
and members of the college."[39] The character and collegial nature of the
episcopal order are evidenced among other ways by the Church's ancient
practice which calls for several bishops to participate in the
consecration of a new bishop.[40] In our day, the lawful ordination of a
bishop requires a special intervention of the Bishop of Rome, because he
is the supreme visible bond of the communion of the particular Churches in
the one Church and the guarantor of their freedom.

1560 As Christ's vicar, each bishop has the pastoral care of the
particular Church entrusted to him, but at the same time he bears
collegially with all his brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all
the Churches: "Though each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion
of the flock entrusted to his care, as a legitimate successor of the
apostles he is, by divine institution and precept, responsible with the
other bishops for the apostolic mission of the Church."[41]

1561 The above considerations explain why the Eucharist celebrated by the
bishop has a quite special significance as an expression of the Church
gathered around the altar, with the one who represents Christ, the Good
Shepherd and Head of his Church, presiding.[42]

The ordination of priests - co-workers of the bishops

1562 "Christ, whom the Father hallowed and sent into the world, has,
through his apostles, made their successors, the bishops namely, sharers
in his consecration and mission; and these, in their turn, duly entrusted
in varying degrees various members of the Church with the office of their
ministry."[43] "The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a
subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order
of the priesthood and be co- workers of the episcapal order for the proper
fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by
Christ."[44]

1563 "Because it is joined with the episcopal order the office of priests
shares in the authority by which Christ himself builds up and sanctifies
and rules his Body. Hence the priesthood of priests, while presupposing
the sacraments of initiation, is nevertheless conferred by its own
particular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of
the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured
to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person
of Christ the head."[45]

1564 "Whilst not having the supreme degree of the pontifical office, and
notwithstanding the fact that they depend on the bishops in the exercise
of their own proper power, the priests are for all that associated with
them by reason of their sacerdotal dignity; and in virtue of the sacrament
of Holy Orders, after the image of Christ, the supreme and eternal priest,
they are consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the
faithful as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New
Testament."[46]

1565 Through the sacrament of Holy Orders priests share in the universal
dimensions of the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles. The
spiritual gift they have received in ordination prepares them, not for a
limited and restricted mission, "but for the fullest, in fact the
universal mission of salvation 'to the end of the earth,"'[47] "prepared
in spirit to preach the Gospel everywhere."[48]

1566 "It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the
faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a supreme degree their sacred
office; there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery,
they unite the votive offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ
their head, and in the sacrifice of the Mass they make present again and
apply, until the coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New
Testament, that namely of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless
victim to the Father."[49] From this unique sacrifice their whole priestly
ministry draws its strength.[50]

1567 "The priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its
support and instrument, called to the service of the People of God,
constitute, together with their bishop, a unique sacerdotal college
(presbyterium) dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In
each local assembly of the faithful they represent, in a certain sense,
the bishop, with whom they are associated in all trust and generosity; in
part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their
daily toils discharge them."[51] priests can exercise their ministry only
in dependence on the bishop and in communion with him. The promise of
obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss
of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the
bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his
friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience.

1568 "All priests, who are constituted in the order of priesthood by the
sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental
brotherhood, but in a special way they form one priestly body in the
diocese to which they are attached under their own bishop. . ;"[52] The
unity of the presbyterium finds liturgical expression in the custom of the
presbyters' imposing hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of
ordination.

The ordination of deacons - "in order to serve"

1569 "At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who
receive the imposition of hands 'not unto the priesthood, but unto the
ministry."'[53] At an ordination to the diaconate only the bishop lays
hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special attachment to
the bishop in the tasks of his "diakonia."[54]

1570 Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way.[55] The
sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint ("character") which
cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself
the "deacon" or servant of all.[56] Among other tasks, it is the task of
deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine
mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion,
in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel
and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to
the various ministries of charity.[57]

1571 Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the
diaconate "as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy,"[58] while the
Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate,
which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment
for the Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who
carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its
liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable
works, should "be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come
down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and
their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace
of the diaconate."[59]

1572 Given the importance that the ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a
deacon has for the life of the particular Church, its celebration calls
for as many of the faithful as possible to take part. It should take place
preferably on Sunday, in the cathedral, with solemnity appropriate to the
occasion. All three ordinations, of the bishop, of the pRiest, and of the
deacon, follow the same movement. Their proper place is within the
Eucharistic liturgy.

1573 The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three
degrees consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the
ordinand and in the bishop's specific consecratory prayer asking God for
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to
which the candidate is being ordained.[60]

1574 As in all the sacraments additional rites surround the celebration.
Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites
have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental
grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites - presentation and
election of the ordinand, instruction by the bishop, examination of the
candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the choice of the candidate
is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the
solemn act of consecration, after which several rites syrnbolically
express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and priest, an
anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy
Spirit who makes their ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels,
the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his
apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the
Church, the bride of Christ, and his office as shepherd of the Lord's
flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, "the offering
of the holy people" which he is called to present to God; giving the book
of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim
the Gospel of Christ.

1575 Christ himself chose the apostles and gave them a share in his
mission and authority. Raised to the Father's right hand, he has not
forsaken his flock but he keeps it under his constant protection through
the apostles, and guides it still through these same pastors who continue
his work today.[61] Thus, it is Christ whose gift it is that some be
apostles, others pastors. He continues to act through the bishops.[62]

1576 Since the sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament of the apostolic
ministry, it is for the bishops as the successors of the apostles to hand
on the "gift of the Spirit,"[63] the "apostolic line."[64] Validly
ordained bishops, i.e., those who are in the line of apostolic succession,
validly confer the three degrees of the sacrament of Holy Orders.[65]

1577 "Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination."[66]
The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve
apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to
succeed them in their ministry.[67] The college of bishops, with whom the
priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an
ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church
recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself.
For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.[68]

1578 No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no
one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God.[69] Anyone
who thinks he recognizes the signs of God's call to the ordained ministry
must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the
responsibility and right to call someone to receive orders. Like every
grace this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift.

1579 All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of
permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a
celibate life and who intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven."[70] Called to consecrate themselves with undivided
heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord,"[71] they give
themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life
to the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted
with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.[72]

1580 In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for
many centuries: while bishops are chosen solely from among celibates,
married men can be ordained as deacons and priests. This practice has long
been considered legitimate; these priests exercise a fruitful ministry
within their communities.[73] Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great
honor in the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for
the sake of the Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has
already received the sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.

The indelible character

1581 This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace
of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his
Church. By ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ,
Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king.

1582 As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ's
office is granted once for all. The sacrament of Holy Orders, like the
other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated
or conferred temporarily.[74]

1583 It is true that someone validly ordained can, for a just reason, be
discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can
be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the
strict sense,[75] because the character imprinted by ordination is for
ever. The vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark
him permanently.

1584 Since it is ultimately Christ who acts and effects salvation through
the ordained minister, the unworthiness of the latter does not prevent
Christ from acting.[76] St. Augustine states this forcefully:
As for the proud minister, he is to be ranked with the devil. Christ's
gift is not thereby profaned: what flows through him keeps its purity, and
what passes through him remains dear and reaches the fertile earth.... The
spiritual power of the sacrament is indeed comparable to light: those to
be enlightened receive it in its purity, and if it should pass through
defiled beings, it is not itself defiled.[77]

The grace of the Holy Spirit

1585 The grace of the Holy Spirit proper to this sacrament is
configuration to Christ as Priest, Teacher, and Pastor, of whom the
ordained is made a minister.

1586 For the bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength ("the
governing spirit": Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin
rite):[78] the grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and
prudence as a father and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a
preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the needy. This grace impels
him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for his flock, to go
before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself in the
Eucharist with Christ the priest and victim, not fearing to give his life
for his sheep:
Father, you know all hearts. You have chosen your servant for the office
of bishop. May he be a shepherd to your holy flock, and a high priest
blameless in your sight, ministering to you night and day; may he always
gain the blessing of your favor and offer the gifts of your holy Church.
Through the Spirit who gives the grace of high priesthood grant him the
power to forgive sins as you have commanded to assign ministries as you
have decreed and to loose from every bond by the authority which you gave
to your apostles. May he be pleasing to you by his gentleness and purity
of heart, presenting a fragrant offering to you, through Jesus Christ,
your Son....[79]

1587 The spiritual gift conferred by presbyteral ordination is expressed
by this prayer of the Byzantine Rite. The bishop, while laying on his
hand, says among other things:
Lord, fill with the gift of the Holy Spirit him whom you have deigned to
raise to the rank of the priesthood, that he may be worthy to stand
without reproach before your altar to proclaim the Gospel of your kingdom,
to fulfill the ministry of your word of truth, to offer you spiritual
gifts and sacrifices, to renew your people by the bath of rebirth; so that
he may go out to meet our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, your only
Son, on the day of his second coming, and may receive from your vast
goodness the recompense for a faithful administration of his order.[80]

1588 With regard to deacons, "strengthened by sacramental grace they are
dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his
body of priests, in the service (diakonia) of the liturgy, of the Gospel,
and of works of charity."[81]

1589 Before the grandeur of the priestly grace and office, the holy
doctors felt an urgent call to conversion in order to conform their whole
lives to him whose sacrament had made them ministers. Thus St. Gregory of
Nazianzus, as a very young priest, exclaimed:
We must begin by purifying ourselves before purifying others; we must be
instructed to be able to instruct, become light to illuminate, draw close
to God to bring him close to others, be sanctified to sanctify, lead by
the hand and counsel prudently. I know whose ministers we are, where we
find ourselves and to where we strive. I know God's greatness and man's
weakness, but also his potential. [Who then is the priest? He is] the
defender of truth, who stands with angels, gives glory with archangels,
causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares Christ's
priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God's image, recreates it
for the world on high and, even greater, is divinized and divinizes.[82]
And the holy Cure of Ars: "The priest continues the work of redemption on
earth.... If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die not of
fright but of love.... The Priesthood is the love of the heart of
Jesus."[83]

IN BRIEF

1590 St. Paul said to his disciple Timothy: "I remind you to rekindle the
gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Tim
1:6), and "If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble
task." (1 Tim 3:1) To Titus he said: "This is why I left you in Crete,
that you amend what was defective, and appoint presbyters in every town,
as I directed you" (Titus 1:5).

1591 The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the
faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called
the "common priesthood of the faithful." Based on this common priesthood
and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the
mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders,
where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the
Head in the midst of the community.

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common
priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the
service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service
for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus
liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).

1593 Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and
exercised in three degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that
of deacons. The ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable for
the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and
deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad
Trall. 3,1).

1594 The bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders,
which integrates him into the episcopal college and makes him the visible
head of the particular Church entrusted to him. As successors of the
apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic
responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the
Pope, successor of St. Peter.

1595 Priests are united with the bishops in sacerdotal dignity and at the
same time depend on them in the exercise of their pastoral functions; they
are called to be the bishops' prudent co-workers. They form around their
bishop the presbyterium which bears responsibility with him for the
particular Church. They receive from the bishop the charge of a parish
community or a determinate ecclesial office.

1596 Deacons are ministers ordained for tasks of service of the Church;
they do not receive the ministerial priesthood, but ordination confers on
them important functions in the ministry of the word, divine worship,
pastoral governance, and the service of charity, tasks which they must
carry out under the pastoral authority of their bishop.

1597 The sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by the laying on of hands
followed by a solemn prayer of consecration asking God to grant the
ordinand the graces of the Holy Spirit required for his ministry.
Ordination imprints an indelible sacramental character.

1598 The Church confers the sacrament of Holy Orders only on baptized men
(viri), whose suitability for the exercise of the ministry has been duly
recognized. Church authority alone has the responsibility and right to
call someone to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.

1599 In the Latin Church the sacrament of Holy Orders for the presbyterate
is normally conferred only on candidates who are ready to embrace celibacy
freely and who publicly manifest their intention of staying celibate for
the love of God's kingdom and the service of men.

1600 It is bishops who confer the sacrament of Holy Orders in the three
degrees.